Radioactive
Waste Disposal: An Environmental Perspective

Introduction

Any activity that produces or uses radioactive materials generates
radioactive waste. Mining, nuclear power generation, and various
processes in industry, defense, medicine, and scientific research
produce byproducts that include radioactive waste. Radioactive
waste can be in gas, liquid or solid form, and its level of radioactivity
can vary. The waste can remain radioactive for a few hours or
several months or even hundreds of thousands of years. Because
it can be so hazardous and can remain radioactive for so long,
finding suitable disposal facilities for radioactive waste is
difficult. Depending on the type of waste disposed, the disposal
facility may need to contain radiation for a very long time. Proper
disposal is essential to ensure protection of the health and safety
of the public and quality of the environment including air, soil,
and water supplies.

Radioactive waste disposal practices have changed substantially
over the last twenty years. Evolving environmental protection
considerations have provided the impetus to improve disposal technologies,
and, in some cases, clean up facilities that are no longer in
use. Designs for new disposal facilities and disposal methods
must meet environmental protection and pollution prevention standards
that are more strict than were foreseen at the beginning of the
atomic age.

Disposal of radioactive waste is a complex issue, not only because
of the nature of the waste, but also because of the complicated
regulatory structure for dealing with radioactive waste. There
are a variety of stakeholders affected, and there are a number
of regulatory entities involved. Federal government agencies involved
in radioactive waste management include: the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Department
of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Transportation. In addition,
the states and affected Indian Tribes play a prominent role in
protecting the public against the hazards of radioactive waste.

Radioactive
waste is categorized according to its origin and not
necessarily according to its level of radioactivity.
For example, some low-level waste has the same level
of radioactivity as some high-level waste.